Trade Up: Why the Future Belongs to Skilled Trades and How Career Education is Transforming the Workforce

by Jason Altmire, Riley Burr

America faces a graduates can’t find jobs, and employers can’t find workers.

In Trade Up, career education leaders Jason Altmire and Riley Burr reveal why the traditional college path is failing—and how a return to skills-based education can empower the rising generation to rebuild the nation’s workforce.

“If you believe honest work matters, that skilled trades deserve respect, and that there’s more than one smart path to a good life, this book is worth your time.” –Mike Rowe, CEO, mikeroweWORKS Foundation

“This new book, Trade Up, is an important addition to the national conversation on addressing the workforce shortage and equipping people with the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow.” –Suzanne P. Clark, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
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For generations, a four-year degree was seen as the clearest path to economic opportunity. Today, that promise is unraveling. Record numbers of college graduates are struggling to find meaningful work—many burdened by student debt—while employers across industries face a critical shortage of skilled talent. From construction and healthcare to manufacturing and technology, the demand for skilled workers is surging. Yet the traditional education pipeline isn’t keeping pace.
The result is a widening skills gap that threatens America’s competitiveness and leaves both graduates and employers frustrated and stuck.

For a growing number of students, the traditional college pathway has become less a gateway to success than a costly detour away from real labor market needs. It’s no wonder families across the country are asking a once-unthinkable Is college still worth it?

Drawing on data, workforce trends, and real-world experience, Altmire and Burr make a compelling case that trade schools and career-focused education are essential to closing the skills gap.

Hopeful and solutions-driven, Trade Up offers a roadmap for students, parents, educators, and employers ready to rethink how America prepares its workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.

214 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 28, 2026

About the author

Jason Altmire is President and CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities, the national association representing private trade schools and career colleges. He is also an adjunct professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He has worked at senior levels in business, education, and politics, and from 2007 to 2013, he served three terms in the United States House of Representatives. A prolific public speaker and commentator, he has been a frequent guest on national television news programs and a regular opinion contributor to a variety of newspapers. He earned a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Florida, a Master’s in Health Administration from George Washington University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University.